Unseen Destiny, Unknown Future
by Yayap007
Summary: Civil war has broken out in the Orion Galaxy, the sister system to Lylat. The Star Fox crew deploys in hopes to take part in the fighting and help end the war quickly... Rating will increase in later chapters: Warning - violence/gore/crude behavior insue


-1 **Disclaimer: **I, Yayap007, hereby state that I hold no copyright over the characters, material, e.c.t of the following fan-based, fictional story revolving around the Star Fox universe and that the respective party (Nintendo) holds all rights to the Star Fox team and Universe.

I, however, hold copyright over my own characters, planets, e.c.t. ideas that will be appearing in this story. Trust me, you'll know them when you see them.

With the Legal mumbo-jumbo out of the way, I'd like to reveal just when this story takes place and the guidelines in which it follows. I will be ignoring 'Star Fox Commands' entirely, not even delving into the story at all for my own personal reasons. This will be based a year after the conclusion of Star Fox Assault, in which the team have defeated the Aparoid menace, rebuilt and restored the Great Fox to her former glory and have been recalled to Corneria for an urgent message from General Pepper's Second-in-command. Apparently, the good General hasn't fully recovered from his encounter with the aparoid, thus leading to the degradation of his physical well-being, health and approaching death. He's requested that the team return to Corneria, in hopes to say farewell to the defenders of the Lylat system and speak to his old friend Peppy, face to face, one last time…

Thank you for reading and Enjoy…

_Chapter.1_

---

**Encumbering Fear, Enlightening Session**

_Pepper's fallen ill. I knew I should have remained on Corneria till he had a clean bill of health…I ask myself if I did the right thing ever since we've gotten that blasted message…Should I have just abandoned him to follow this homely bounty hunter role that I'm literally in no shape to follow? I still have nightmares about those damned aparoids…How they consumed me, ROBB and even the ship. Pepper got the worst of it…We shot him down above Corneria. It was for his own good and thankfully Fox was a good enough shot to avoid any vital areas of his ship…but there must have been some other way, an easier way that would have presented itself sooner or later, a way that didn't involve Fox actually shooting him down and causing even more damage…No…What Fox did was the right thing. He saved Pepper from himself and I aided with the landing. I just can't help it…I feel like I abandoned one of my closest friend…and now he's dying and there's not a damn thing I can do about it. Haven't slept much since I got the message, it's been the twelve time I've replayed it…Haven't even eaten a real meal since then. Pepper…I'm sorry, I'm truly, deeply sorry for_-

Private Journal of: **PEPPY HARE **

Star-Date: 2/19/3211 - 0412 hours

Entry Title: **(subject)**

Marked for deletion by request of author on Star-Date: 2/19/3211 - 0432 hours

Delete Entry Titled: **(subject) **? _**Yes**_ - _**No**_

_**Yes**_ Selected…Deleting Entry…

_Thank you and have a pleasant day _**PEPPY HARE**.

---

It was a noise Krystal thought could never be made by a sentient being: the shriek of pure, relentless, animalistic agony. The darkness that filled the room was, in a word, crushing. The only light that could be seen came from it's very center: A cone-shaped ray of light panning out to reveal a sight that would forever haunt her memories and thoughts.

It was a chair, if it could be called a chair at all. She had recognized the shimmering bindings on it's armrests and enormous base. The being that now took up residence didn't need to even be heard for Krystal to realize just what the chair was used for: Inflicting pain, an interrogation chair.

It reminded her of the warm, welcoming cockpit of the Arwing she now so adeptly flew, but with an abominable, sinister twist. It bound the unfortunate being to it's seat by three restraints, each shimmering blue and red with energy that discharged every time the being moved, sending rippling waves up it's arms and legs. There were three in all, one on each armrest and on large at the base which totally encased the victims legs from the knee down. Another jolt, another howl of sheer pain.

'_A dream, is this a dream? It-it has to be a dream…' _she thought, blinking in bewilderment at the sight of the senseless cruelty.

She tried to move, but found she couldn't. She looked down to find her restraints, only to find there were none, just a debilitating feeling of lack and burden. She was behind a shallow row of bars, caged like an animal. She noticed something else, something that took a second for her to realize when she tried to move.

Clothing her body wasn't her familiar nightgown, flight suit or even her tribal gown, but a deep forested green military suit, spackled with some notable accomplishments in the form of patches.

"Increasing to level five, deploying Scylla attachments. These'll loosen his tongue for sure." said an invisible voice shrouded by the darkness, it's tone passionless and oblivious to the spectacle before her.

"You could turn him into your own personal marionette for all I care Shivum, as long as one of them talks." Said another voice, it too invisible, shrouded in the darkness. This ones tone was one of content and pure malice. As a result, a deep throaty chuckle sounded as well as an annoyed huff.

"Your branch really is without it's sense of humor."

"They don't pay me to have a sense of humor. They pay me because I-"

"We."

"…We….get them results. Now, if your going to continue to engage me in this irrelevant verbal tussle, I'll-"

"Easy! Easy! The damn thing's cooling down…"

"Improve it's cool down time after today. I want to spend minimal time here."

"Yeah, yeah…whatever you say boss."

Krystal blinked, trying to comprehend what was going on. Where were these two…who were they?

"Damned monsters….He served! He served for twenty years and this is the thanks he gets!" cried an angry voice.

She turned to see she wasn't alone in her cell. Another prisoner, a reptile, knelt a dozen feet away, he too encumbered by the invisible weight that held her in place. He wore a military vest as well, rattled with metals and patches…a war hero no doubt.

"So, it finally speaks." said the malevolent voice. Stepping into the rim of light was a hooded figure, hands tucked away inside the sleeves. "You know, you could save yourself and your friends a lot of unnecessary pain by simply telling me what I want to know." the figure crooned, it's tone beguiling.

The reptile did his best to spit, but it merely fell only a few feet away from his prone state.

"D..Don't…T-tell….them an…anything…" Whimpered a weak, pained voice.

Krystal looked up to see the figure, a middle-aged cat, looking at the reptile with a weak smile on his face, which many teeth were absent.

The hooded being slowly turned his head to glance at the cat. "…Ever defiant…He won't talk. Cancel the last order…"

It now turned it's gaze to Krystal.

"…Tell me where he's hiding, and your father will live to see active duty once more." the being hissed.

Krystal's heart leapt to her throat. _'…F…Father?! He…he couldn't be…' _

"…Anessta…" cried the cat. She and the hooded mans gaze fell back to the man. He was smiling and wheezing a small string of laughs. "…I'll…a…always…b…be with…you…" he whispered.

'_M-My name's not….wait…where am I? _Who _am I?' _Krystal thought. She broke her gaze, and that was all it took.

The hooded figure gave a slight gesture: The 'kill' sign. "Finish him, he's of no use of us." Seconds later, a huge serrated blade burst forth from the mans chest.

Krystal gasped and stared, terrified. The reptile beside her gave an anguished cry and did his best to struggle against his invisible bonds. The hooded figure just watched.

The cat stared in bewilderment at the several foot long blade that suddenly materialized in his chest. He coughed once, blood following. He looked at Krystal once more and mouthed the words 'Always'. He let his body fall against the chair, eyes still open as he passed, staring into the dark oblivion of the room.

"Such a waste…" The figure hissed.

"Eh, I like the current Commander." chimed the other voice, which had been silent till now.

The reptile suddenly began to bellow in a language that Krystal didn't recognize. She didn't need to. The sheer tone and anger in the reptiles voice gave away that it was cursing the hooded man and his hidden accomplice.

"Whoo! The gutter mouth on this one." said the other voice.

The hooded man gave a dull grunt of disgust. His hands parted and searched through a deep pocket at his hip. "Insolence…" It hissed. The man then pulled a pistol from his pocket, aimed and fired a single shot. The small red beam struck her cellmate clean in the throat.

The reptile gasped and gurgled, struggling vainly to touch the wound. The hooded man fired three more rounds, catching the dying creature in the chest shoulder and stomach.

"Release the gravity field." The hooded man commanded, chuckling.

The restraints binding the reptile seemed to vanish. He crashed to the ground, grasping his neck and chest wounds, flailing and grunting.

"Reminds me of a fish I once caught." The other voice said, actually laughing as the reptile went through it's death throes.

Krystal was utterly horrified. These beings actually found enjoyment in killing and tormenting their captives.

The hooded man adjusted something on the pistol and pointed it one last time and the thrashing reptile. "…Funs over." he grunted and pulled the trigger. The bolt caught the reptile in the neck and ceased it's thrashing.

"The girls next. She's probably got a lot of screams in her." said the other voice.

"…Good…" the hooded man replied, putting the blaster away.

"Err…Boss?"

"What?"

"You-uh-think I could…you know…have some time alone with her?"

The hooded man glanced passed the interrogation chair, not answering instantly. "…What?"

"…It's been a long time since I've been to the Jewel. Three days. Side's, it's not like we're gunna let her live after we're done with her! Come on boss! Puh-leeeeze! Just this once! I'll make it quick, I promise. We'll get the-"

"-Enough." the hooded man said, shaking his head in disgust. "…Just this once. You'd better get me the information I want, Shivum, or it'll be you in the chair."

"You won't regret this boss!"

"For your sake, I hope your right." the hooded man hissed and vanished into the darkness.

Krystal felt her stomach churn and sour…She…was she going to…this man was going to have his way with her, then kill her?! She willed her body to move, but failed against the gravity field that held her in place.

"S'right. Struggle. Always makes it all the sweeter when ya break." said the chilling voice of the other man. He was kneeling just outside the cell now, locking eyes with her. She couldn't make out much of the mans features…just a thick mane of unkempt hair, pale tattooed skin, shimmering fangs and the most malevolent, sulfurous eyes she'd ever seen. He opened the cell door and stepped in.

Krystal finally found her voice and did the only thing she could do as the mans clawed hand reached for her face, shrouding the world into the crushing darkness…She screamed.

"No!" Krystal shouted as she sat up, bolt straight in her bed. Her chest was heaving and her stomach was so knotted she placed a hand on her mouth, preventing her getting any vomit on her bed in case she did just that,

She waited for the world to stop spinning and her body to calm before she looked around…She was back in her cozy quarters aboard the _Great Fox_ once more. She let out a deep sigh of relief and gently rubbed her forehead.

What had just happened to her? Was that a dream or…a vision? She had just witnessed the death of another person, through that persons eyes. She ran a hand over her face and cupped them under her chin. They felt wet and clammy. She looked to find her fur and bed matted with sweat. She stood, walked to the bathroom and took a quick shower in hopes to both cleanse herself, settle her still aching stomach and try to sort out what she had just went though.

---

The shower had only managed to rid Krystal of the muck and sweat she had accumulated during her vivid 'dream'. Her stomach was still knotted and her mind was still not at rest, so she quickly dried herself and put on some casual clothing. Perhaps a few laps around the _Great Fox's _winding corridors could help put her mind and body at ease.

She had experience a vision through the eyes of another woman…but just what was the vision truly about? What were those two cruel abominations of men after? Where was she? Who was she? All these questions and so many, many more plagued her.

Before she made for the door, she checked the small clock above the entrance. It read 2:21am. Barely asleep for four hours and already she was wide awake. She gave a wary sigh and walked out onto the baron deck.

Everything was pristine; the lights, the bulkheads, the deck itself, everything shimmered….but it didn't feel like home. This wasn't the Great Fox that survived the Aparoid invasion, but a newer model. She began her seldom march around the main deck, stopping every now and then to let a cleaning droid pass.

After an hour of wondering, she found herself in front of the bridge.

"…What are you doin' up this late?" chimed a gentle, fatherly voice. Krystal turned to find the veteran pilot and co-commander to the _Great Fox_, Peppy Hare, standing behind her.

He wore the traditional gray-red suit, a new pair of boots and a pair of…reading glasses? Those were certainly new.

"Evening Peppy." she said gingerly. "…I…I couldn't sleep."

Peppy gave a small smile. "That makes two of us." He walked passed her onto the bridge. "Come on, I'll whip us of something to drink."

She followed the aging rabbit and settled into one of the plush navigators chairs. Outside, the stars screamed by in thin lines of white. The ships newly designed hyper-engines seemed to be working.

Peppy settled himself into the commanders chair and dialed in a few keys on the chairs dial pad. Soon, a service-droid would come knocking with a pot of tea and cups for the two of them. "I marvel what the spooks at the Cornarian shipyards make. Never had a fleet'a droids to clean and tend the ship before, just poor old ROBB an he ain't much of a maid." he said with a hearty laugh, remembering the old days.

Krystal gave a chuckle as well. "I can only imagine…"she whispered half-heartedly, gazing distantly out at the passing stars.

Peppy brushed his growing mustache. "So, what's troubling you?" he finally said, sinking into the chair.

Krystal snapped back to reality. "Hmm?"

"Nobody roaming the halls this late at night but the cleaner droids. Gotta be up for some reason."

Krystal hesitated. "…I...had a very…vivid dream….a vision, I think."

Peppy's ears perked. "…Visions? Like the ones of Sauria?" he asked, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.

She shook her head. "No…those visions are vague. I can still feel when the planet is suffering and in danger….but never like this."

"What do you mean?"

"I….It was like I was witnessing the world through the eyes of another person…a dark one at that."

"What happened in this…vision of yours?"

Krystal remembered the wails of agony from the cat who had been impaled. A shiver coursed trough her entire body. "…I was…in the middle of an interrogation…a brutal…cruel interrogation."

Peppy blinked rapidly. "Who was being interrogated?"

"I'm not sure, a cat. I think…he was apart of some sort of military because the person in my cell said something about 'years of service'. They had him strapped down on this…thing. It looked like a chair but…I'm not sure. I kept running bolts of energy through his body."

Peppy relaxed visibly. "Well, thankfully it wasn't any of us…or anyone we care about."

Those words pierced Krystal like a spear…What if had been Fox in that chair…? "…Yes…"

"What happened next?"

"…They killed the man. Something came out of the chair and….." she began, allowing the words to trail off as she remembered that horrible sight.

"…What happened to you?" Peppy finally said.

Krystal swallowed. '…Struggle. Always makes it all the sweeter when ya break…' that….thing had goaded to her. "…When the leader, a hooded man, said I was to be put in the chair…another man asked if he could…if he could rape me…" she muttered, words slowly trailing to a whisper.

Peppy's mouth dropped a little at her final words. "..W...What?"

"…After he'd have his way…they'd strap me into the chair and….It ended as soon as he came for me…"she whispered, shivering.

Peppy was silent, the look of sheer horror still on his face. "…Krystal...I…I don't…" he began, trying to form any sort of words to bring the vixen any sort of comfort, but failing to find any in his aghast state.

After a bitter moment of silence, Peppy stood and gently brought Krystal into a firm embrace.

"…It's over Krystal…it was just a dream…it's all over." he whispered soothingly as she secondly accepted the hug. She tried to find some comfort in his words….but deep down….she knew…this was far…far from over.

---

"Three…

Two…

One…

Zero…_Terminate exercise."_

"Blast it all!" Slippy Toad fumed, stamping his foot once and shaking his head. "Why can't I get the hang of this darn rifle!"

Krystal and Pepper weren't the only two lurking about the ship. In the shooting range at the belly of the _Fox_, Slippy was trying his luck with the automatic rifle in the training exercise 'Break the Targets' and utterly failing. The object of the game was to destroy a set amount of targets before the timer ran out. Each time, Slippy would fire and lose control of the bucking weapon and now he was getting sick and tired of it.

He wasn't much of a solider, most amphibians weren't, but there were times he was needed to dawn his battle-armor, take up a weapon and slug it out on the ground with Fox or Falco. Even then, he still faired poorly.

While he was mediocre with the pistol, he'd rather pack more firepower and punch then the simple semi-auto handgun. Even then, to control the recoil and control, he needed to grasp the weapon itself two handed, where it took Falco and Fox only one.

Again, Slippy set up the exercise, waited for the targets to shimmer to life and opened fire. If Falco were present, Slippy would never hear the end of what happened next. The rifle bucked and pushed as Slippy held down the trigger and took down a few targets with a constant stream of fire, but the wily rifle managed to finally push Slippy back to the point where the amphibious recruit balanced precariously on one leg. Pushing against the rifle until he planted both feet to the ground, he almost thought he could finish this time…until the rifle ran out of ammunition, which caused Slippy to, quite literally, slip forward. With no force to push against, Slippy toppled head first into barrier separating him from the target range.

"_Terminate Exercise." _the computer chirped.

Slippy rubbed his nose as he staggered to his feet. "Stupid gun…" he grunted, dropping the rifle at his feet.

"What in the hell are you trying to do, Slip?" chimed a cocky voice.

Slippy shut his eyes, silently begging it not to be who he thought it was…Falco was leaning on the door, a smug look on his face.

"…Hello Falco." he muttered, glumly.

"That happy to see me, huh?" Falco said and approached his squad mate. "Slip, what are you trying to do anyway?"

"I'm practicing…"

"What? Falling face first into a slab of steel? It's, like, Three in the morning."

"Buzz off. It was just a simple mistake…And besides, what are you doing up anyhow?"

"Just sprucing up the old Arwing's all. You were trying to break my score…weren't you?"

Slippy blinked. Falco held the high-scores on pretty much every weapon when it came to _'Break the Targets'._ "I'm just trying to get better aim."

"Get better aim?"

"…Yeah."

Falco huffed in amusement and shook his head. "Get better aim…Slippy do you even _hear _yourself?" he said, making his way to the weapons locker. "Lemme have that rifle."

Slippy hesitantly handed the weapon over.

"Slip, lemme give you some advice…" he said, putting the rifle away and pulling out three pistols. "…You always want to have a weapon your actually useful with at your side in a firefight. I'd much rather give you a pistol then a rocket-launcher-"

"Ha ha, Falco. I know, I'm a lousy shot! Stop rubbing it in and get to the freaking point." Slippy hissed, crossing his arms.

"Temper temper!" Falco scolded and tossed the pistol to Slippy. "You gotta learn to crawl before you can walk, Slip."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"It mean's your not ready to go onto bigger, meaner weapons till you master the smaller ones…Like the pistol." Falco said, deactivating the safeties on each pistol. They were the standard issue. Semi-Auto, Charge capacitor and recharging battery.

"Slip, I want to ask you something."

"Shoot."

"What weapon have you had the most training in?"

"The pistol."

"What weapon are you most comfortable with?"

"…The pistol."

"Which would you rather have? A weapon you've got no idea in hell how to use, or a weapon your familiar with?"

"…A weapon…I'm familiar…with."

"Which is?"

"……The pistol."

"Good! We're making progress!"

"But the pistols weak!" Slippy protested. "I need something with more…oomph behind it."

"Pistols got some pretty damn good 'oomph' behind it. You just need to know how to use it properly. Try firing with one hand."

Slippy hesitated, deactivated the safety and fired a single round. The pistol offered minor recoil as the bolt left the barrel and struck the target.

"What next, oh-great-teacher?" Slippy muttered sarcastically.

Falco just began to hum a simple tune as he keyed in a few commands to the targeting computer. Twenty-three shimmering targets appeared. He continued to hum as he made his way back to the weapons locked and tossed Slippy a second pistol, who just about caught it.

"What's this?" Slippy asked, taking a pistol in each hand.

"Level two." Falco said. "Take down as many targets as you can."

Slippy turned to face the target-range and opened fire simultaneously with both weapons. It was a clumsy attempt. Slippy had a hard time managing both pistols and an even harder time firing each at a different time. Forty-nine seconds later with all the targets taken down.

"Not bad." Falco mused as he reset the targets.

"…Heh…Never thought I could use the two toget-" Slippy began but stopped as Falco took the range. It truly was a sight to behold: Falco fired with one pistol, demolishing target after target while charging the second pistol. He spun gracefully, using his momentum to put a spin on the charged shot, which took out five side-by-side targets as it honed in on it's primary target. It was over in nine seconds. All twenty-three targets were destroyed.

Falco blew the rising steam from the muzzles of the pistols away, smirking as he turned to face Slippy.

"Still think the pistols don't pack enough 'oomph?" he chuckled.

Slippy had a flabbergasted, jaw-dropped expression on his face, one that Falco would cherish forever and never let Slippy live down. "You keep at it crack shot." and with that, Falco put away his pistols, patted Slippy on the head and made for his quarters…In twenty-four hours they'd be in Corneria, he'd want to be fully rested and at looking his best when they arrived. He even had something to keep himself busy, the others were in for a treat in the morning…except Slippy, that is. He always ragged on the little slime-ball when he goofed or did something stupid…and now, with that once-in-a-lifetime expression, he had enough ammo to keep himself and the crew busy…


End file.
